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Posts Tagged ‘Ariel’s Grotto’

This week’s SATURDAY SIX takes a look at the TopSix Meet and Greets at the Magic Kingdom. Let’s face it, meet and greets have become an important part of the vacation experience for many guests. Gone are the days when you could randomly bump into characters roaming the parks as the meet and greets of today have become attractions themselves, with some lines equaling even the best rides and shows in the parks. With elaborate sets, must-do character dining, and even special events based around the opportunity to meet characters, nobody does meet and greets better than Walt Disney World. Today we are going to look at the very best meet and greets at the Magic Kingdom, along with a little advice from an expert on meeting characters, Kenny the Pirate. The rankings are based on several factors including; theming of the meet and greet area, guest interaction with the characters, and a pinch of Je ne sais quoi (the indefinable magic that some meet and greets deliver which stays with you and your family for years, if not a lifetime.) Remember that clicking on any picture will bring it up in full size, and with that out of the way let’s start with…

# 6 – The Little Mermaid (Ariel’s Grotto)

Disney hit a home run with New Fantasyland delivering a great coaster with the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, a wonderful dark ride with Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid, and the first “E-Ticket” dining experience with Be Our Guest Restaurant. They also over-delivered in the area of meet and greets with the hilarious Gaston (who we just may see later in the list,) Enchanted Tales with Belle (including the stunning Lumiere animatronic and the how did they do that Magic Mirror,) and Ariel’s Grotto.

The Grotto is located right next to the Mermaid attraction and personifies what Disney can bring to the table. Walking into the area guests will receive the same wow factor they got when seeing the elaborate queue of Under the Sea or the impressive Ursula figure during the ride. This is a setting befit of a Disney princess.Guests are asked to sit next to Ariel on her clam shell bench, and this provides an intimate experience you just don’t get at many meet and greets. Like her movie counterpart, this Ariel will comment on unusual items guests may have that wouldn’t be found in the water, along with having age appropriate conversations with each and every guest. This is your only opportunity to meet Ariel outside of a dining package, and be sure to ask how her friends Flounder and Sebastian are doing!

Disney California Adventure’s World of Color nighttime spectacular is one of the most popular productions at the Disneyland Resort, and having a meal a the park’s upscale Carthay Circle Restaurant has been the best way to secure “Center Stage” VIP viewing area tickets to the show. Recently, Disney has made a major change to the way World of Color Fastpasses are distributed to Carthay Circle diners.

Previously, anyone eating at Carthay Circle for lunch or dinner would receive a WoC ticket at no extra charge, as long each person ordered an entree along with an appetizer or dessert. Recently, a “fixed price” 3-course menu was introduced for WoC diners, and the original 2-course option has now been eliminated.

Currently, in order to receive WoC passes, Carthay Circle customers must order from a limited 3-course lunch menu ($39 adults, $22 children) or dinner menu ($59 adults, $24 children). You can see the available meal options by following the above links; notable, the popular duck wings and cheese biscuits are not offered on the WoC menus.